The 8 Best Vegetarian Restaurants In Manhattan

goodiesfirst via FlickrVegetarians may get knocked for turning up their noses to steak and bacon, but they know that you don't need meat to make a great meal.

Chefs whose restaurants are exclusively vegetarian or vegan get creative to construct their enticing, artful meatless dishes. New York is home to a lot of vegetarians, so it makes sense that some of the best vegetarian restaurants are in the Big Apple.

Zagat has explored and rated the finest herbivore-friendly restaurants in the city, with food so gluttonously good you'll have a hard time believing it's healthy.

#7 Candle Cafe

Candle Cafe can be found on the Upper East Side and the Upper West Side and the menus are very similar. The simple yet tasty organic veggie dishes are inspired by a wide and satisfying variety of ethnic cuisines, including Italian, Mediterranean, Indian, Asian, and Cajun.

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#6 Candle 79

Candle 79 is the "upscale, elegant sister" of the Candle Cafe that serves the kind of fare typical of a fine dining restaurant, only it's all plant-based, so the chefs can get creative as they depart from the chicken or beef dishes you might normally find at dinner.

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#5 HanGawi

Right in the heart of "Korea Town," diners take their shoes off and enter a food sanctuary where they can find traditional kimchi and bibimbap dishes, but also various fresh, seasonal dishes and sides.

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#4 Pure Food & Wine

A product of the One Lucky Duck brand, Pure Food & Wine started as New York's "first upscale raw vegan restaurant." They offer lunch and dinner, and have a spectacular brunch menu, which one might think is difficult to do without eggs, but Pure Good & Wine gets it just right.

#2 Taim

In the heart of the West Village, Taim is a small falafel shop practically hidden on Waverly Place, usually identified by its line of hungry customers stretching out the door. People come from all over for their no-nonsense falafel and other vegetarian Israeli fare.